Belt unloading mechanism



Aug. 7, 1951 A. R. YOUNG 2,563,444

BELT UNLOADING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 24, 1948 IN V EN TOR.

array/1 5m.

Patented Aug. 7, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BELT UNLOADIN GMECHANISM Arthur R. Young, Detroit, Mich. Application August 24, 1948,Serial No. 45,876

8 Claims. (01. 198--188) This invention relates to apparatus forcontrolling delivery of material from an endless conveyer to a series ofbins or hoppers.

An important object of the present invention is to provide an apparatusof the above-mentioned character that is automatic in its operation tocontrol flow of material into the hoppers.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of theabove-mentioned character that assures a more uniform distribution ofmaterial to the hoppers.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of theabove-mentioned character that is automatically operative to regulatethe amount of material delivered to each of the hoppers.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of theabove-mentioned character that materially reduces loss of material overthe head of the conveyer.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of theaforementioned character that effects a saving in time and labor ascompared with conventional apparatuses now in use.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus ofthe above-mentioned character that is simple and rugged in constructionand that can be installed and maintained relatively inexpensively.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent duringthe course of the following description.

In the drawing forming a part of this specification and wherein likenumerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Fig. 1 is a top pan view Showing apparatus embodying the presentinvention associated with the belt conveyer and one of the hoppers forreceiving material from the conveyer, and

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

The present invention is primarily adapted and preeminently suited foruse in foundries. It is not limited to such use, however, and can beused in any capacity where apparatus of this character has utility.

In conventional foundry practice, tempered sand is delivered to a row ofoverhead hoppers by a belt conveyer. This sand is taken from the hoppersas recluired and spouted into molds on molding machines located adjacentto the hoppers. Finished molds are then taken from the molding machinesand placed on the pouring lines.

Since large amounts of sand are used in this manner, it must bedelivered at regular intervals to the hoppers. Usually, sand isdelivered to the row of hoppers more or less continuously by a suitableeonveyer and sand is diverted into the respective hoppers as required byplows which are moved manually to and from the surface of the conveyerbelt.

In at least one type of conventional installation, the conveyer beltpasses directly over the hoppers and V-shaped plows associated with thehoppers are disposed above the belt. The plows are pivotally mounted sothat they can be lowered to a position on the belt or raised to aposition above the belt. When the plows are lowered they scrape sandfrom the conveyer belt into their respective hoppers; and when the plowsare raised, sand on the belt merely passes over the hoppers withoutinterference from the plows.

The system particularly described above requires the constant attentionof a workman who operates the plows manually to keep the hopperssupplied with sand. .Labor costs are high, and this procedure istherefore expensive. Moreover, the procedure is wasteful both of manpower and sand, since constant vigilance is necessary to keep a l of thehoppers properly and eenerally uniformly filled. Even then aconsiderable amount of sand is not diverted into the hoppers but passesover the head of the conveyer. This sand must then be collected andreconditioned for re-use. The result is inefieciency and increased costof operation. In addition to the above, this system is haphazard inoperation and does not assure uniform distribution of sand to the hopers or proper regulation of the amount delivered to any particularhopper.

In the drawing I have shown, by way of illustrat on, a preferredembodiment of ap aratus for perform ng the above o erationsautomatically.

According to the present invention, a hopper I0- is dis osed beside anendless belt conveyer l2 and the lat er is supported on a horizontalplatform I4 which extends from the inner side of the hopper. The patform l4 provides a flat unyielding surface for surmort ne the belt l2as it passes the bin Hi. The end walls I 6 and I8 of the hopper l0extend substantially above the belt I2! and the inner edges of theextending wall portions prefveniently may deliver sand to a row ofhoppers III in the manner hereinabove suggested. Thus, while only onehopper I9 is here shown, it is contemplated that any desired ornecessary number of hoppers may be arranged beside the conveyer belt l2.According to the present invention, each of the hoppers H3 is equippedwith an automatically operable plow for diverting sand as required fromthe belt l2 into the hopper. Each of these. plows is identical inconstruction; and operation and a detailed description of one thereforewill suffice.

Essentially, the automatic plow of this invert tion comprises a row ofblades 23],. 2:2, 2 3- and- 26 arranged in a diagonal line from edge toedge of the conveyer belt I2 and with the ends thereor in overlappingrelation so as to deliver material at. one edge of the belt and into thehopper W. The blades 20, 22, 24 and 26 are carried by armsazfi, 30, 32and 34 respectively, which arms are mounted ona common. pivot rod. 3-6:carried. by the endwalle t and. iii. Each. of the. arms 28- 3.4 can bevrocked; on the pivot. 35 to. move its respective: blade to-"and: from:the conveyer belt L2; In practice the arms.- Bil-35 are actuated by apivoted. vane 38- located hopper. in adjacent. the outer wall thereofand mounted to swing on pivots 40 andu ir. which'are journaled in theend walls 16; and. I8; Adjnstab'lesetserews 44, 4a,. 4:8 and 50 carried:by and. movable with the vane engage respeetivearmss 2 8., 321,. 32 and34- atthe right. of pivot rod. 35 as viewed. in the drawing. The-screws.A t-50 are. independently adjustable so that they can beset to: engagetheir respec- 2o- 2e by lugs 54=,--and each-pivot extends-through! and.is supported by one flange oi'its respective supporting arm. At theouter ends thereof the arms r ll-34 are formed with depending portions56.- which extend downwardly behind the blades 28- -26- and.limitrontwardswinging movement of the: blades 211-26. As a res-ul-tofthis construc tion, the blades. 29 -2.5 can swing inwardly forlimited-distances to accommodateany downward movement. of the supportingarms which may 00 our after the blades engage the; belt I21. same time,,-the depending portions 50 form. rigid back-up members for the blades2 ll-2-fi which: prevent the sand or other materiah on the com veyerbelt- I.2 from pushing against and passing under the blades.

Ifhe vane-38 also is generally rectangular in form. as perhaps bestshown in Fig. 1, and it is sufficiently large so that it substantiallyfills the entire crossseetiorr 'of the hopper when in the angular ordiagonal position shown by full. lines in. F.'ig.-2. Vane 38*conveniently can be'made of: sheetmetala Any-suitable means may beprovided for cooperatively associatingthe vane 33 and adjust ing screws.44-. In the form of the invention here shown,v an angle iron 53 extendsalong andis. welded or otherwise attached to the upper marginal edge ofthe vane 38. Transverse support ing angles-B0, 6'2, 64 and 66' arefastened to: the

angle 58. The supports Ell, $2,843 and E5 correspond in number to thearms 2834 and each support is disposed in alignment with a respec= tiveone of the arms. Adjusting screws l -5i3 are carried by respectivesupports Eli-53, and each screw preferably is provided with a lock nut68 which holds it in selected adjusted position.

As best shown in Fig. 2, the adjusting screws M 50 project fromthesupports 69-66 and engage their respective supporting. arms 28- 5- 23in such manner that movement of the vane 35% is necessarily co-ordinatedwith movement of the blades '2-'026 and vice versa.

material in the hopper it is approximately at the level or below thelower edge or vane?- 38 there is little or no resistance to pivotalmovement of the vane. Consequently, the weight of blades "Ml--26 actingthrough the supporting arms 28*34 and adjusting screws 4450 will swingthe vane 38 to the left to the full-line positionshown in Fig. 2. whenthe blades go -2e are thus positionedthey collectively form a barrierfor material on the. belt i2; and as. the belt moves. in the directionof. thearrow in Fig. 1, the blades divert material. on the beltlaterally into the hnpper l8. Manitestly, all. of the sand orothermaterial on. the belt. it. will be swept off by the blades. 2G.-2fias. long as all of them. are incontactwith thebelt.

Material delivered to the hopper. I ll iallsdownwardly through theelongated slot. orspace between the inner side of the hopper and.the'lower edge of. the vane 38.. Consequently, in use there will. beapeak. height of: the. material directly under this. slot, and. thematerialwill slope away fromthe peak toward the outer side of the hopperI0. Thus the.--material inthe: hopper does not interfiere withswingingmovementof the vane 38 from thefullline back. into. the hopper tosubstantially the dotted-line position. As. soon: as the level ofmaterial the hopper L0. reaches. the. lower edge of. the vane 38-it-will. begin to pile up against thev vane, and. the-weight of materialagainst. the vane forcesthelatter to. swing to. the right. as indicated.by the arrow in Fig- 2; As the vane 38' swings in this. direction it.reacts through screws id-5:0 andarn1s..28 --34. to. raise the bladesZil-Zfi.

Adjusting screws. 4450 can beset so that the: blades 2026 are raisedfromthe belt l2 simultaneously or any predeterminedsequence.or

7 order. Where there are a large number of. hop-- Atthe a pers to befilled, important advantages in. operationare. obtained. if the blades.are raised sequentially-oneaiter the'other from thebelt l2. Usually, itwill desirable. first to liftthe outermost blade 20- and :then to liftthe other blades one after the other as the hopper fills. Thus. theadjusting screw 44 is'set. so that it'willliit the blade 20 almostimmediately when the vane 38 begins to swing to: the outside of thehopper. After the blade 20 has raised slightly from the belt l2,adjusting screw 46- engages arm. 3-0 to raise the blade 2-2. Shortlyafter-the bladeZZihasb'eenraised from the belt I 2, adjusting screw 48engagessupporting arm 32 to raise the blade 24-. Finally, after all ofthe other blades have been raised from the belt I 2, adjusting screw 50engages supporting arm 34 to-raise theblade 2 6 In this manner, somesand is permitted to go through the-plow toother hoppers: as soon as:the.

first blade 20 is raised and. this will occur as soonas the hopper [i0is filled to a point'where the: vane: 3-8-begins= to Swing to the right.The sand which goes through the plow will be that portion of. the-sandwhich would normally be: diverted. by

the'hopper ID to the next adjacent hopper in the series where it iscollected and swept into the latter hopper by the plow associatedtherewith. As the hopper Ill continues to be filled, the blades areraised progressively and sequentially from the belt l2 andproportionately reater amounts of sand are permitted to pass through theplow to the adjacent hopper.

From the foregoing, it will be readily apparent that if sand isdelivered to the hopper I faster than it is withdrawn, it eventiallywill be filled to a point where all of the blades 2 0-45 are raised fromthe belt I2. As the blades rise, one after the other, progressivelygreater amounts of sand pass to the adjacent hopper or hoppers. When allfour are raised, all the sand is permitted to pass without interfence.

On the other hand, if sand is drawn rapidly from a hopper after one,two, or three of the blade have been raised so that the sand is nolonger being supplied to the hopper at a rate sufficiently to overcomeor compensate for withdrawal, the level of sand in the hopper will dropand the weight of the raised blade or blades will force the vane 38 backto the left. As the vane 38 moves in this direction, the blades dropprogressively onto the belt l2 and progressively increasing amounts ofthe sand are again delivered to the hopper l0.

If the hopper II] is full so that the blades 20-46 are elevated from theconveyer belt l2 and only small amounts of sand are taken from thehopper, the amount taken may be compensated by less than all of theblades. As soon as the level of sand in the hopper l0 falls to a pointwhere the first blade 2%! is dropped onto the belt l2, some sand will bediverted from the conveyer into the hopper and this alone may besufficient to fill the hopper to a point where the blade 2|] is againraised from the conveyer belt. On the other hand, if a greater amount ofsand is required to compensate for the amount withdrawn from the hopperl0, it may be necessary to lower two, three, or even four of the bladesonto the conveyer belt l2. This is done automatically in the mannersuggested.

In view of the foregoing it will be readily apparent that I haveachieved the object of the invention. Sand is delivered to the hopperdirectly according to the rate of withdrawal, and all of the operationswhich control delivery of material. to the hopper ar entirely automatic.By properly adjusting the screws 4 l-5ll, a desired level of sand may bemaintained in the hopper. By reason of this arrangement, sand is takenoil the conveyer automatically as it is needed; and if an adequatesupply of sand is maintained on the conveyor, none of the hopperssupplied by the conveyer need ever be empty. A uniform distribution ofsand to the several hoppers is obtained and the amount of sand deliveredto any particular hopper can be easily regulated. Since the entireoperation is automatic, there is a substantial saving in time and laborwhich previously was required. The construction of the apparatus issimple and rugged, thus assuring low cost both in installation and inmaintenance.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1. A multiple blade automatic plow for delivering sand or the like froman endless conveyer belt to a hopper at one side of the belt comprisinga plurality of plow blades arranged diagonally across the conveyer beltwith the individual blades disposed in overlapping relation; a pivotedsupporting arm for each of said blades; a pivoted vane in said hopper;and actuators carried by and movable with the vane and engaging saidarms, said actuators operable by pivotal movement of the vane in onedirection to raise the blades from the conveyer belt and operable bypivotal movement of the vane in the opposite direction to lower theblades onto the conveyer belt. i

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said actuators areindividually adjustable to engage and release their respective armssequentially upon pivotal movement of said vane.

3. A multiple blade automatic plow for deliverin sand or the like froman endless conveyer belt to a hopper at one side of the conveyer beltcomprising a vane mounted in the hopper for swinging movement about agenerally horizontal axis; a plurality of individually adjustable setscrews carried by the vane; a plurality of pivoted arms disposed abovethe conveyer belt, each arm being engaged by a respective one of saidset screws and adapted to be rocked about its pivot by swinging movementof the vane; and a plurality of generally upright blades each carried bya respective one of said arms, said blades arranged diagonally acrossthe conveyer belt and disposed in overlapping relation with respect toeach other, said blades being individually actuatable relative to theconveyer belt by said vane acting through said arms and said set screwsbeing adjustable to move the blades in predetermined sequence.

4. A multiple blade automatic plow for delivering granular material froman endless conveyer belt to a hopper comprising a plurality of pivotedarms disposed about the conveyer belt; gen erally upright blades eachcarried by a respective one of said arms, said blades arrangeddiagonally across the conveyer belt from edge to edge there-- of anddisposed in overlapping relation with respect to each other; a vanemounted in the hopper for swinging movement about a generally horizontalaxis; and means operable by said vane and engageable with said arms tomove the blades relative to the conveyer belt.

5. A multiple blade automatic plow for delivering granular material froman endless conveyer belt to a hopper disposed beside the belt comprisinga plurality of generally upright, individually movable blades above theconveyor belt; a pivoted carrier for each of said blades; and controlmeans for actuating said pivoted carriers to move said blades to andfrom said belt, said control means being responsive to the level ofmaterial in the hopper and operative to move the blades in predeterminedsequential order onto the belt as the level of material in the hopperdrops and to raise the blades from the conveyer belt in reverse order asthe level of material in the hopper rises.

6. The combination as set forth in claim 5 wherein the control means ispivotally mounted in the hopper at the side thereof remote from saidconveyer belt.

7. The combination as set forth in claim 5 wherein said control meanscomprises a generally upright pivoted vane in said hopper, andadjustable means carried by and movable with said vane for actuatingsaid carriers.

8. The combination as set forth in claim 5 wherein said control meanscomprises a pivoted vane mounted in the hopper at the side thereofremote from said conveyer belt, and a plurality of adjustable meanscarried by and movable with fsaid wane, ,said 7 adjustable ,.means.engegi1 g ires pective ,carriers and perable by movement .121

the vane about its pivot to actuateusaidvcarriers in rpredeterminedsequence.

:ARTHUR R. YOUNG. B

. :Number REFERENCES CITED 55 1124 .The following references are 10fgreecondk 'in :L-the 57:3;381

file of this patent:

.UNITED :STATES BAENES Name .Date

Hewlett (Jan. L16, "1945 FOREIGN .EATENTS Country Daite Germany Augiwi,1 932 Great Britain Nov.;19," 1 945

